LATEST ARTICLES

Dr Muhammad Maroof Shah

Many religions claim to be the best or assert their finality or primordiality. How do we understand such claims and appreciate Mulla Sadra’s point, endorsed by Muslim theologians and sages in their own ways, regarding Islam as superior and more complete than any other religion because it incorporates the teachings of all religions? If we closely attend to the ground of the claim of finality – access to the Absolute – for which prophets are the means, we can, across religions, identify the ground of superiority and resolve conflicting claims. Today we note Schuon’s (Shaykh Isa Nuruddin’s) clarification of the logic underlying finality....

S. Arshad, New Age Islam

S. Arshad, New Age Islam

...those verses that are included in the Quran cannot be said to have been abrogated because the abrogated verses have already been removed by another verses according to the principle of the Quran. The verses should be considered in their right contexts. The abrogated verses were left out when the Quran was compiled in the book form. Declaring some specific verses only on the basis of interpretation of particular school of thought or on the basis of extremist point of view is illogical and unacceptable....

S. B. Zaki

Two arguments are being made in this essay: 1] the condition of women in pre-Islamic Arabia depended on which tribe they belonged to – not all women were mistreated, in fact some were far more empowered before Islam than afterward…these reports all exist in Muslim sources; 2] Islam did not choose the more women-empowering pre-existing cultural mores to lay down laws regarding women. It appears that the Islamic laws related to women, while striving for some form of compassion for women, are consistently formed in ways to benefit men, and the focus of many of these laws has been to satisfy the almost obsessive interest of Islam in paternity....

James M. Dorsey

James M. Dorsey

The difference between then and now is that then there were all kinds of worldviews on offer: anti-authoritarianism, anarchism, socialism, communism, concepts of extra-parliamentary opposition, and in the Middle East and North Africa, Arab nationalism and Arab socialism. Today, the only thing on offer is militant interpretations of Islam and Jihadism....

Huda al-Saleh

The report also revealed how the extremist exploited women, al-Qaeda's founder in Saudi Arabia and one of its theoreticians (killed in a security confrontation in 2003) Yusef al-Ayeri, and Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, one of the most prominent extremist ideologues, considered women “to be a scornful fun tool with no worth compared to the women in after life”....

ASKDrBrown

A Syrian teenage girl tells her harrowing story of her father forcing her into sexual jihad for the Islamic Jihadi rebels linked to Al-Qaeda. Temporary Marriage or muta is sanctioned under Islam for Muslims.....

Dr. Fawziya Al-Bakr

The message of mosques where people come to pray in congregation five times a day can be disseminated to millions. The imams and Khateebs can do wonders in stressing the principles of love and equality and remind people of the manners of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They should stress the importance of sticking to the religious values....

BEST OF BEFORE ARTICLES

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Mr. President,

Even17 years after 9/11, terrorism in the name of Islam is nowhere near its end. Yet, all that one hears from Muslim leaders is rhetoric against Islamist terrorism. No concrete action has been taken to cleanse the Islamic theology of totalitarianism, xenophobia, intolerance and a historical urge to expand the land of Islam through offensive Jihad. One would think that at least Sufi Muslims, who have been for long a victim of Jihadism, an offshoot of neo-Khwarij Salafism, would introspect and look into their own theology and purify it from elements of political Islam.

This may sound strange to some. For, Sufism has been identified as the antidote to Jihadism. But we must also understand that Sufi theologians too have been votaries of Islamic world domination. The strangest thing that is happening now is that rather than cleansing their theology of traces of political Islam, sections of Sufi Muslims are actually engaged in what can be called a Wahhabisation of Sufism. The inclusive doctrine of Wahdatul Wujood (unity of being) has been replaced by exclusivist doctrine of Wahdatul Shuhood (unity of perception). Enlightening Sufi books teaching mysticism, ethics and morality have been taken out of the courses of study from Sufi madrasas and women are being barred from visitation of shrines.

I would like to appeal to Muslim governments represented in the Council to introspect and cleanse the Islamic theology of elements of totalitarianism and offensive Jihad for world domination. There are war-time instructions in Islamic scriptures that should not be considered applicable to us Muslims today in the 21st century. Instead, what even earliest Sufi and Salafi theologians have said is that one so-called sword verse alone has abrogated 124 early verses of Quran preaching peace and pluralism....

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam

Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam

Etymologically, Millat means a pathway in Arabic. Millat Ibrahim denotes the faith tradition of Prophet Abraham (or Ibrahim in Arabic) as mentioned in the Qur'an. The Qur'an refers to the faith of Ibrahim as “Millat u Ibrahim”. It also tells about Hazrat Ibrahim’s experiences in the quest for the truth and how he first considered a star, moon and sun as his gods but rejected them as mere creatures and how he finally believed in their Creator (Qur'an 6:76-79). The Qur’an has used the term Millat in fifteen different contexts. 10 of them (2:120, 2:130, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, 6:161, 12:37, 12:38, 16:123, 22:78) refer, directly or indirectly, to Prophet Abraham. It also tells us that it is Abraham who coined the term "Muslim" and Allah named all his followers Muslims. (Qur'an 22:78)....

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sixteen years after 9/11, the issue of Jihadi terrorism has become even more complex and widespread.

First, though Jihadism is a violent offshoot of Wahhabism and Salafism, the international community has allowed the fountainhead of Wahhabi/Salafi ideology to continue to spend tens of billions of dollars to Wahhabise the world Muslim community.

Second, we recently saw with horror, but without any protest from the international community, the sight of a UN-designated terrorist, with a ten-million-dollar bounty on his head, launch a political party and nominate another US-designated terrorist to contest democratic elections in Pakistan. Apparently, some countries can ignore UN directives with impunity.

Third, the Muslim community has failed to grasp that Jihadism spread so rapidly around the world because at its core it is not very different from the theology of consensus that informs the religious beliefs and practices of all Muslim sects. That is why Jihadis are not impressed when we Muslims either proclaim that Islam is a religion of peace and pluralism or when we try to wash our hands off Jihadism by claiming that it has nothing to do with Islam. If we Muslims want to live as honourable citizens in the 21st century’s globalised world, we must rethink our consensus theology in all its dimensions and make revolutionary changes to bring it in line with the needs of present times....

S. Arshad, New Age Islam

S. Arshad, New Age Islam

The Quran enjoins on man to co-exist in peace and respect each other’s faith. The Quran says that God has made the universe full of variety and the mark of His creativity is manifest everywhere. The heavens, the earth, the oceans and the flora and fauna are marked with variety and difference in shape and colour. The way of living and eating habits of people is also different. Therefore, the religions and the way of thinking of different peoples also differ. This is according to the scheme of things of God. He says that if he had willed, all the people of the world would have believed in one religion. But through difference in faith and way of worship of God, he wants to test man’s faith and wants to see how man tries to co-exist in peace with others despite difference in way of thinking....

Muhammad Yunus, New Age Islam

Muhammad Yunus, New Age Islam

It is clear from the foregoing review of relevant Qur’anic verses and Qur’anic illustrations that it puts no bar against women to leading prayers, including Friday Prayer. Whether the prayer will be attended by only women or both men and women will obviously depend on gender dynamics of the era, but the Qur’an does not prescribe any gender based segregation in public place or place of worship. It is true that the classical Sharia Law of Islam does not permit a woman to lead men in prayer such as the Friday prayer. This is corroborated by the eminent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in his following response [6] to a question raised on the subject….

Sultan Shahin, Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Editor, New Age Islam

Facing the brutalities of Islamist terror, while President Obama will not go beyond calling it violent extremism, the head of Sunni Islam's oldest seat of learning, Jamia al-Azhar admitted in a counter-terrorism conference in Mecca that extremism was caused by “corrupt interpretations of Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad”, and Islamic curriculums needed to change.

This call for reform, coming from Jamia Al-Azhar, is gratifying. But a half-hearted approach to reform will not work. The problems Muslims face are very basic and cannot be solved with mere tinkering with text-books. The global Muslim community will have to introspect. One question repeatedly asked, for instance, is about the contextual verses of the holy Quran that are utilised by Jihadists to brainwash our youth. Jihadists present these contextual verses as an eternal guide for Muslims.

One would imagine that the followers of Islam who believe, and many certainly do, that Islam is a religion of spirituality, peace, coexistence and tolerance, would be up in arms against the Islamic State. But while routine denunciations from some sections do come occasionally, there is no outrage visible in the Muslim society. The world cannot help noticing that while tens of thousands of Muslims come out on streets to demonstrate the moment there is an allegation of so-called blasphemy against any one, hardly any Muslim would protest at the myriad brutalities perpetrated by Islamist terrorists.

Clearly there is something wrong, some disconnect, some deeper and more complex phenomenon at work than what can be understood from a superficial look at the issue. Instead of expressing outrage, we find thousands of Muslim young men and women running from their comfortable homes, private schools and cushy jobs to fight and join in the brutalities of the so-called Islamic State. Some 12,000 Muslim young men and women are said to have joined so far from 80 countries……

Basil Hijazi, New Age Islam

Basil Hijazi, New Age Islam

The Muslims in the era of the Prophet [peace be upon him] and after him in the era of the companions [Sahaba] were threatened with the sudden violent attack by the forces who used to see Islam with contempt and hostility. So the “defensive war” was immensely necessary at that time. The fight of Islam was defensive and not offensive. It is necessary to understand that sometimes defence wears the dress of offence merely for reasons such as, preventing the obstacles in the preaching of Islam, applying and propagating the principles of humanity, brotherhood, equality among the servants of Allah and social security and deterring the strong from oppressing the weak....

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

ISIS may be militarily defeated tomorrow and even go out of existence. But this will not solve the problem of Muslim radicalisation. If our madrasas and educational institutions continue to prepare the ground for self-segregation and militancy, expounding the current theology, mixed with narratives of victimhood and marginalisation, Islam will continue to be hobbled, Muslims will continue to struggle to fit in the way of life in contemporary world.

Moderate, progressive Muslims must urgently evolve and propagate an alternative theology of peace and pluralism, consistent in all respects with the teachings of Islam, and suitable for contemporary and future societies, while refuting the current theology of violence and supremacism.

Unfortunately, as we have seen above, the task is not so easy. Radicalisation has not just happened overnight. Jihadi theology has evolved over hundreds of years. Major theologians who have studied Islam independently have brought to us a political version of Islam, stripping the religion of all its spirituality.

While it is primarily the duty of Muslims to fight this ideological war within slam, this is no longer just a Muslim concern. The world too must confront Muslim scholars with the supremacism and extremism present in their theology and ask them to rethink Islam. ProgressiveMuslims should join the rest of the world to defeat extremism in Islamic theology.

Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

One of the first to raise the banner of revolt was the great grand-daughter of the Prophet himself. Sukayna exercised her Nikahnama so that her husband will never take another wife, something which we could have learnt during our debate on a model Nikahnama. Taking a cue from the courage displayed centuries ago by Sukayna, one Muslim woman has sought to challenge the entrenched male dominance within the Muslim society. K Jamittha led a mixed gathering Namaz at Mallapuram. Of course she must have been supported by the many progressive minded Muslims like her, both men and women. But to take that first step is always audacious and for that reason alone she must be saluted....

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

The Muslim
reaction to Javed Akhtar’s tweet can be summed up by what Khalid Yunus Ansari
wrote in Pratap of 11 September: “There has never been any dearth of
opportunists and traitors among Muslims. These people may appear intelligent
and educated but are ignorant of Muslim mores. … A real Muslim is one who
consciously and even sub-consciously believes in and follows Islamic Laws,
someone who cannot even imagine finding fault with or challenging or violating
any of them. Even imagining any fault with Muslim Laws is absolute kufr
(disbelief), not to speak of expressing such thoughts.”

I have been
reading Urdu newspapers for 45 years. While Muslims have been constantly
fighting for the so-called Muslim Personal Law which allows them to treat women
as inferior beings, never have I come across any Muslim demand for being
governed by Islamic criminal laws. If Sharia is so important, if it is such a
vital part of our faith, then why this dichotomy? Except for drinking alcohol,
punishments for all other hudud crimes (mentioned in the Quran, considered
crimes against God) are to be amputation, flogging and beheading. One would
have thought that at least those Muslims who are so particular about following
Sharia, and, of course, all ulema who consider Sharia divine would demand the
implementation of the entire Sharia. Why follow only the part that helps keep
women subjugated and avoid those that may lead to severe medieval punishments
specified by Quran and Hadees....

Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

Arshad Alam, New Age Islam

Broadly, there are two categories of madrasas: those supported by the state and those supported primarily through community donations. It is possible that some community funded madrasas also take grants from the government. Within the community funded madrasas, there are number of ideological orientations possible: depending on the curriculum, madrasas in this category can be classified as Deobandi, Barelwi, Ahle Hadis, etc. Their curriculum is primarily theological which means that they hardly teach any ‘modern’ subjects like science and mathematics. Due to immense sectarian difference, these madrasas are not organised under one umbrella....

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Founding Editor, New Age Islam

Mr. President,

While the
world’s attention is focused on violent extremism practised by a section of
Muslims, gross violations of human rights are taking place in various Muslim
societies in the name of religion. In a South East Asian country, the Arabic
name of God is monopolised by Muslims. Non-Muslims using the traditional term
Allah for God are punished. In a South Asian Muslim country thousands of Hindu
and Christian girls, many under the age of 18, are abducted, forcibly converted
to Islam, and then “married” to their abductors. In a Middle Eastern country,
courts allow marriages of as small as 9-year-old girls and force them to
consummate their “marriage” and live with their husbands. In my own country,
India, Muslim husbands can utter the word talaq, meaning divorce, thrice in a
row, and legally throw their wives out of their homes in less than a minute.

While these are
gross violations of human rights, they also amount to denigrating the religion
of Islam. All these and many other similar social evils and criminal acts
including terrorism are practiced as if they have been ordained by Islamic
scriptures. This calls for deep introspection in the Muslim community. We
Muslims should not allow our religion to be hijacked in this fashion.

Mr. President,
I would like to make a request, through you, to the representatives of Muslim
countries in the Council. Dear Sirs, Madams, Please start a serious dialogue
with theologians in your countries and ask them to open the gates of Ijtihad,
the creative re-thinking. This was not only permitted, but ordained by God, in
Islam’s primary scripture, the holy Quran, as no other Prophet was to come
after Mohmmad (saw). We Muslims must revisit our theology in the light of the
needs of the 21st century. We are not living in the 7th century and can neither
fight those early battles nor organise our societies in that medieval
fashion....

Sharif Arshad, New Age Islam

Sharif Arshad, New Age Islam

In the light of the theories and philosophies involving word and meaning have evolved before intellectuals and writers, words should be put horizontally, vertically and flattened and then one should have a subjective and objective glance on them. Pure technical and academic pieces and the experiences of life should be honed on the waves of the words that emerge on the conscience of the exegetes. Such study of the Quran will be called scientific but unfortunately our oriental mind has been afraid of the word ‘scientific’ and scholars and exegetes forget the fact that explaining words of the poetry of great poets like Shakespeare, Tulsidas, Mirza Ghalib, Iqbal, Homer, Dante and Tagore has always been a gigantic task....

Sultan Shahin, Editor, New Age Islam

Sultan Shahin, Editor, New Age Islam

Prophet Mohammad was very emphatic in his views on animal sacrifice: “if you MUST kill, kill without torture.” Unfortunately, this admonition is also ignored. The two million animals that were sacrificed in Saudi Arabia at the end of Hajj yesterday had been brought to the country in most horrible conditions, many of them dying en route.

I personally witnessed the torture animals go through when I was in Karachi on Baqr Eid, a few years ago. The whole city appeared to have turned into a slaughter house. One could hear the cries of goats and sheep for days before Eid, while they were still being traded in city squares and even in roundabouts on major arterial roads. The animals apparently knew what fate was awaiting them. It was the obscenity of the whole scene that I cannot forget. Baqr Eid, the holiest of days, had descended into an orgy of blood-letting, with the “devotion” that God requires completely missing.

The callousness we Muslims display towards animals would give the impression that the religion of Islam is indifferent to the fate of animals. In fact, Islam requires Muslims to protect, not just Human Rights, but HuqooqulIbaad or the rights of all creations of God.

HuqooqulIbaad is considered so important that it is given primacy even over Huqooq Allah or our duties towards God. While God may forgive us for our transgressions, given his Benevolent and Merciful nature, His creations will not even recognise us on the Day of Judgement. So we must fulfil our duties towards creations of God in this very world, since we cannot hope for forgiveness from them on the Day of Judgement.

Muslims should also remember the conduct of the Prophet in treating animals with kindness. On many occasions, during his journeys, he delayed prayers for the sake of first relieving the animals of their burden, and giving them food and water. He would refuse to lead prayers until animals were looked after first. He told several stories of people being forgiven all their sins for having shown consideration for a dog or a cat. According to Imam Abu Dawud, the Prophet forbade the hitting of animals on their faces and branding them. He also forbade sports based on animal fights.

Rashid Samnakay, New age Islam

From the very first principles of the Book, Polemics as given to divisiveness by disputing the given Codes, is rejected outright, although intelligently arguing and analysing the merits and demerits of any code is encouraged till one is convinced. Intelligence acquired by knowledge therefore forms the basis of the rationality that plays the most important part in the application of the Code, once accepted to maintain the unity and harmony of society of Believers to live a good life. Verse 6-159 is given as an example: 6-159, as for those who dispute to divide their Deen/Code and breakup in sects, you (Oh Messenger) have no part in them in the least. Their affair is with God, He will in the end tell them the truth of their actions (Yafa'loon)! The laws of nature will manifest and the consequences of the actions taken in disputes will become clear to all.....